Psalms 98:1-4 Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. 2 The LORD has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations. 3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
Psalm 98 is a victory psalm — a call to lift up a “new song” because the Z’roah, the holy arm of the LORD, has brought decisive triumph. In Hebrew thought, the arm is the active extension of the will, the power that brings intention into reality. To call it “holy” is to declare that it is set apart, dedicated fully to God’s purpose, incapable of corruption. The psalmist celebrates that salvation is not a hidden act, but an open demonstration — God’s righteousness revealed before the eyes of the nations.
The Z’roah here is not simply about a moment in history; it is the ongoing, covenant-keeping power of God. The psalm ties His victory directly to His mercy and faithfulness toward Israel — reminding us that every act of deliverance is anchored in His unchanging promises. His arm moves in perfect alignment with His covenant love, ensuring that His people’s salvation is never an afterthought but the goal of His mission.
The imagery points forward to the Messiah, the Arm of the LORD revealed in human form. Yeshua’s (Jesus’) death and resurrection were the ultimate “marvelous things” — the victory that disarmed the powers of darkness and opened salvation to every nation. The psalm’s vision of “all the ends of the earth” seeing God’s salvation finds its fulfillment in the global proclamation of the gospel and will reach its climax when He returns to reign openly.
This psalm also shows us that God’s victories demand a response. We are not called to observe quietly but to join the chorus — to “shout joyfully,” “rejoice,” and “sing praises.” The Z’roah has acted, the victory is won, and the whole earth is summoned to celebrate. Worship becomes the public testimony of the redeemed, declaring to the world what God has done.
For us today, Psalm 98 is both a celebration and a prophecy. We sing because the Z’roah has already secured our salvation, and we sing because we know the day is coming when every voice will join the song. This is not just Israel’s story; it is the world’s invitation.
The holy Arm has accomplished what no power on earth or in hell could ever do. His salvation is not hidden in shadows but blazes in the light for all to see. Lift your voice now in praise, for the Arm that won the victory is the Arm that upholds you still. And just as He rested when His work was finished, so you are invited into His Shabbat — the rest secured by His triumph. This rest will be your song now, and His victory will be the anthem of eternity.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Being hated without cause is an aspect of Messianic prophecy that applies to both Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David. Just as Joseph was hated by his brothers, and David was hated by Saul without cause, is it any wonder that Yeshua (Jesus) was hated by the world without cause…
Another interesting correlation we draw from Mashiach Ben Joseph is how Joseph was the object of his father’s (Jacob) love, just as Yeshua (Jesus) was loved of our Heavenly Father. This preference Jacob had for Joseph was unequivocal, and it was also pretty controversial among his brothers.
Continuing this study of Mashiach Ben Yosef (Messiah “Son of Joseph”), I want to focus on another aspect of the rabbis’ understanding; that Mashiach ben Yosef will come first, and prepare the world for the Kingdom of the Lord.
Another aspect of Mashiach ben Yosef, is that the world would resist his authority.
When Joseph told his family of his dreams, they were outraged at the suggestion that their younger brother would reign over them. They simply had no idea that God would make Joseph exactly the kind of ruler they needed.
When Joseph became ruler over Egypt, his name was changed, and his identity was altered so that he no longer appeared or lived as a shepherd son of Israel from the land of Canaan, but as an Egyptian Prime Minister. The transformation was so thorough that when his ten brothers arrived in Egypt he was totally unrecognizable to them. This true story beautifully illustrates Mashiach ben Yosef (Yeshua/Jesus at His first coming), and contains a prophetic picture pointing to Yeshua and His Jewish people living today as we approach the Second Coming.
Joseph, the son of Jacob grew up caring for flocks, a shepherd boy,(Genesis 37:2). While we might have a romantic view of an easy pastoral life among sheep and goats, the main responsibility of a shepherd was to protect the flock against hungry predators (wolves, lions, etc.) looking for an easy meal, actually quite a dangerous job. The shepherd loved his sheep; and Joseph was a good shepherd.
The creation of the world was completed by God in 6 days. He rested on the 7th day and sanctified it, the Sabbath, Shabbat. When Yeshua died for the sins of the world, his followers hurried to take Him down from the cross so they would not violate the commanded time to rest. [Luke 23:54-56] So the Messiah completed His work of redemption just before entering into Shabbat. As He died, He said, “It is finished!” [John 19:30] Finishing His work and entering the grave opened the way for humanity to enter His rest, the rest He entered after creating the world.